Back to star power and real men

Masculinity and not sheer machoism was what ruled the catwalk on the last day of Van Heusen India Men's Week in the Capital. MiD DAY gets you the details

The man -- whether the partygoer or the sinner or the warrior -- was back in focus on the last day of Van Heusen India Men's Week that concluded on Sunday. The day was also marked by agonising waits before every show (stretching up to an hour in some cases). Here is a recap:

Rohit & AbhishekMasculinity and warrior-power reigned supreme in their collection. The designer duo also brought in the first showstopper in Irrfan Khan.

Irrfan Khan in a Abhishek + Rohit ensemble Pix/Subhash Barolia

The men came dressed as modern-day warriors. There were button-down jackets, riveted jackets, geometric print shirts, loose jodhpurs which were jazzed up with medals, broaches, metal buttons, zippers and rivets. Colours moved around blacks, greys, browns, beiges, army and sap green.

Troy CostaCosta's collection took inspiration from the Great Depression of the 1920s. So tuxedos, double-breasted jackets, waistcoats, bandhgalas -- all made their presence felt.

Models in outfits by Troy Costa

The fits were structured and the fabrics luxurious, quilted, lacquered and heat-sealed. There were rich brocades, velvets, satin and silk in abundance with checks, surface detailing and texturising. There were blacks with bursts of royal blue, gold, shiny red and purple.

Shantanu & NikhilCocktail and bachelor parties were what Noida-based designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil focused on. The collection -- which included sherwanis, rolled up trousers, slim-fit pants, kurtas, bandhgalas -- took off from where they left at the recent Couture Week.

A model in a Shantanu Nikhil ensemble

It was a blend of Indian and Western sensibilities. The emphasis was on textural techniques and overtures. The outfits were in colours like oranges, royal blues, blacks, reds, purple, turquoise, greens, rust browns in rich fabrics like stretch silk. There was shibori, geometric patterns, kanthawork, surface texturising and draped shawls with accentuated shoulders and sleeves. There was also a lot of detaling on the pockets. The designers used textures on the stitch lines and old block printing techniques.

Manoviraj KhoslaThe Bangalore-based designer's attention was on the Sinnerman, which rung through the show. The idea was to show a day in a sinner's life. Khosla played with his fabrics using Indian fabrics and weaves which lent a touch to his fabrics.

Manoviraj Khosla

There was organza, velvets and something the designer called 'khatiya weaves' (called so since it was done in the backyard of Bihar). The lowers were either rolled up and stitched, or short, or comfort fits. The neck was given emphasis with knotted scarves or ties. There were lots of pipings, stripes, tie-and-dye, checks and floral prints in summery hues of whites, pinks, oranges, blues, yellows with sprinkling of blacks. There were velvet shorts, army prints and zipper details.

Karan Johar + Varun BahlComfort and easy breezy silhouettes marked the show. And it was back to Dostana days with boxer shorts. Interestingly-cut open-chested jackets, kurtas, jersey cowl body-hugging T-shirts, crinkled jackets, tapered and rolled up pants, waistcoats with belts, shirts with pipings, crushed shirts and lots of layering dominated the runway. Colours moved from boring blacks, beiges and greys to more happy peaches, yellows and oranges.

The show was opened by Imran Khan (with cheering wife Avantika in the front row) looking dapper in a black suit and closed by Katrina Kaif (who went androgynous in a shiny bluish black jacket and slim black pants) and Khan.